Mishap delays opening of new Pocono Mountain Public Library

A flood from above has pushed back the opening date of the Pocono Mountain Public Library at least two months.

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By MICHAEL SADOWSKI

poconorecord.com

By MICHAEL SADOWSKI

Posted Jan. 31, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By MICHAEL SADOWSKI

Posted Jan. 31, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

A flood from above has pushed back the opening date of the Pocono Mountain Public Library at least two months.

Library Director Ann Shincovich said a coil in the building's new heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit broke earlier this month and poured hundreds of gallons of water into the building, ruining furniture that had only been installed days before.

"It's just heartbreaking," said Shincovich, who has helped direct the building project through twists and turns that finally led to a groundbreaking in 2011. "It's a real shame. We thought we'd be done by now, but that's not how it's going to go."

The coil broke Jan. 18 in what will be the attic area of the new building, sending water cascading into the library's second floor, and then finally to the first floor.

The new circulation desk stood in 2 inches of water for hours, Shincovich said. The carpeting was ruined on the first and second floors, ceiling tile was damaged and walls had to be taken down.

While a cleanup team was able to make it in Jan. 18 to work on the building, it still had "serious damage," Shincovich said.

There is no definitive estimate on how much the repairs to the $5.6 million building would cost, but Shincovich guessed it would amount to "tens of thousands" of dollars.

She added the library is insured for the damages, but that professionals are working to figure out what exactly happened and why.

The current library at the Coolbaugh Township municipal complex remains open while the new library is being repaired.

On the bright side, Shincovich said, the library books hadn't been moved into the new building yet. Water damage would have ruined them.